1 in 54 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) according to estimates from CDC. ASD can occur in children of all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. Increased awareness and understanding can lead to earlier recognition and early intervention that can have improved lifelong outcomes.
Children with ASD struggle with oral health and dental visits. Dr. Adeel and the staff at Happy Chompers Pediatric Dentistry have gone through advanced training to treat children with Autism, ASD and sensory issues. We are here to help make your child’s visit successful and comfortable.
Here are some strategies that help us and our patients:
- Collaborating with our parents and families before their appointments. This involves finding out what works and what doesn’t. Parents and caregivers know their children more than anyone.
- Identifying triggers and minimizing visual and audio stimuli by using sunglasses, headphones, dimly lit rooms and weighted blankets.
- Reading our dental visit social story before their appointment to familiarize themselves with the visit
- Low Stress Preview visits- having patients come in and preview the dental office to get acclimated OR split up the visit into multiple low stress desensitization visits
- Minimize wait times & individualized scheduling to adapt to patient’s behavior and needs
- Using distraction and encouraging patients to bring along a favorite sensory toy or stuffed animal for comfort
We want to know you and your family better so that we can provide compassionate, quality care which can lead to successful outcomes. We would be honored to be your permanent dental home.